Study title

The Vocational School Student Survey (VET Student Survey) 2019 is a total study charting experiences of young people studying in Finnish vocational education institutions. The survey was conducted by the Research Foundation for Studies and Education (Otus) in collaboration with the National Union of Vocational Students in Finland (SAKKI), which also funded the study with funding received from the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. Main themes of the survey included applying for studies, experiences relating to studies and teaching, financial circumstances, plans for the future and working life, and wellbeing and leisure time. First, the respondents were asked about their studies at present with questions concerning, for instance, their field of education, how they financed their living costs during studies, and whether they were studying towards a dual or double degree. Questions also surveyed how the respondents had entered their studies (via the joint application system or continuous admission), whether their current field of education had been their first choice when applying, and whether they had began their studies straight away in the autumn after completing comprehensive school. The respondents' decision to apply for vocational studies was further examined with questions regarding, for instance, whether vocational studies had been discussed or recommended in their families or at school, whether their friends or siblings currently studied or had previously studied in a vocational institution, and how clear the decision to opt for vocational studies had been. The respondents were also asked whether they had worked or completed other studies before starting vocational studies, and how they had performed in earlier education. The respondents' experiences of studies and teaching were examined with questions about the time spent on studies in a week, form and sufficiency of the teaching and guidance received,...